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CONGRESSIONAL STAFF VISITING FORT CARSON TO
LOOK
AT COMPLAINTS -- PTSD care at issue as soldiers
claim harassment and denial of medical
services.
Story here...
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/
drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5255582,00.html
Story below:
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Post-traumatic care at issue
Congressional staff visiting Fort Carson to
look at complaints
By Dick Foster, Rocky Mountain News
COLORADO SPRINGS - Fort Carson's treatment of soldiers with
post-traumatic stress disorder after combat in Iraq will come under the
scrutiny of congressional staff members today and Friday.
Three U.S. senators, Barack Obama, D-Ill., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and
Kit Bond, R-Mo., are sending staff members to the Army post for the
fact-finding mission.
The three senators sought the probe after reports on National Public
Radio in December and CBS News in July that some combat veterans were
provided inadequate care or were even denied treatment for their
complaints of PTSD symptoms.
Staff representing four Colorado congressional members - Sens. Wayne
Allard and Ken Salazar and Reps. Mark Udall and Doug Lamborn - also will
join the briefings.
Fort Carson's top medical officials have insisted that their staff is
not mistreating soldiers.
"We are seeing the soldiers, treating them well and providing the care
they need," said Col. John Cho, a surgeon and commanding officer of Fort
Carson's Evans Army Medical Center.
The visit will include briefings and interviews with Fort Carson medical
officials and rank-and-file soldiers.
Combat experiences can trigger symptoms such as nightmares, paranoia,
rage, isolation and other antisocial behavior.
Several Fort Carson soldiers complained that they were harassed by
junior officers and noncommissioned officers after seeking doctor's
appointments for mental and emotional problems after coming home from
Iraq.
Some said they were denied permission to obtain appointments to see Army
doctors for PTSD symptoms.
Others said they were threatened with disciplinary action, and some said
they were given discharges for personality disorders or patterns of
misconduct.
Certain discharges can leave soldiers ineligible for veterans medical
care and other benefits.
Fort Carson had diagnosed 577 cases of PTSD in 2006 through early
December and expected the number to surpass 600 for the year. That
compares with only 32 cases in 2002, before the Iraq war began.
But some veterans advocates say that soldiers are not treated the same
and fairness becomes an issue when some receive treatment while others
are punished for the same disorders.
Problems with treating PTSD do not appear isolated to Fort Carson.
Across the Army, PTSD has become a serious issue. More than 650,000
soldiers have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since the Global War on
Terrorism began in 2001.
The Army estimates that 20 to 30 percent of them will report symptoms
such as sleep disorders or anxiety after combat, and 10 to 15 percent
will eventually develop PTSD.
A recent General Accountability Office report criticized the Army and
other branches of the military for inconsistent diagnosis and treatment
of PTSD.
The Department of Defense "cannot provide reasonable assurance that
service members who need referrals for further mental health or combat
operational stress reaction evaluations receive them," the report
stated.
fosterd@RockyMountainNews.com or 719-633-4442
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Larry Scott
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